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Hitman’s IO Interactive Downsizing After Square Enix Selloff

Sad Day for IO Interactive and the Fate of Hitman Unknown

IO Interactive, the Danish developer behind Hitman just announced via Twitter that some massive layoffs are coming for the company. And it looks like they’re losing some people they wish they could keep from the grim Twitter announcement this morning:

No, not my beautiful baby, Hitman!Hitmanmust remain alive! I’ve loved you since Codename 47! You’re killing my baby! My beautiful, bald baby boy who is a Rube Goldberg murderer! Where else can I engineer an exploding golf ball to be hit at my target’s head while I dangle ragdoll bodies over the roof and dump them in the beautiful pool? Nowhere, I tell you! Nowhere! Horrible Trash Donkeys and Final Fantasy Freaks Square Enix! Look what you’ve done!

Okay, sorry for that outburst. Here’s the facts: we know that Square Enix was looking to find new investors to bring into IO Interactive and drop the studio from its ledger. Speculation is IO Interactive is looking to slim down in order to fit into that interview suit that’s been sitting in the closet since 2009. This puts a stall on IO Interactive’s only active title, Hitman, with Season 2 half done, according to wccftech.

Right now, it’s a huge money grab for IO Interactive, not only to stay alive as a studio, but to deliver on Hitman Season 2, which they retain the rights to. If IO can come up with some independent investors and release Hitman on time, it would be a huge bump in their finances without Square Enix taking a cut. It would also put the studio in a good position to partner and negotiate with a larger publishing house and bringing them back on track. Unfortunately this comes after these undesired layoffs.